Information technology is key to the future as everything is becoming modern. But there’s a big problem, not enough skilled software developers.
Outsourcing is a good way to solve this. It saves time and costs, makes operations better, gives companies an edge, and lets them focus on their main work. More and more companies, especially new ones, are choosing to outsource IT work to experts instead of hiring their teams.
There are many ways to work with software companies. Staff augmentation and IT outsourcing are two popular methods. But these can be confusing for people new to outsourcing. This article will explain the differences between staff augmentation and IT outsourcing to help you understand better.
The pivotal role of information technology in shaping the future is unquestionable, especially as the world undergoes extensive modernization in various operations. Yet, the current market faces a significant challenge: a shortage of seasoned software developers.
What is Staff Augmentation?
Staff augmentation means adding a specialist to your team for a short time. This person is usually an expert in a specific area. They join at different times during a project to use their skills to help the project.
Companies use staff augmentation at the start or near the end of a project, mainly to check things. If they find any problems, the added experts can fix them based on what they know.
Advantages of Staff Augmentation
- Global talent access: One big plus of staff augmentation is that you’re not limited by location when finding talent. You can get experts from all over the world, giving IT companies a big advantage because they can find a variety of skills that might not be available locally.
- Better scalability: Being able to grow or shrink your team as needed is key for a business. Staff augmentation lets you change your team size to fit your project, which keeps things productive and cost-effective.
- Saves costs: Hiring people the usual way can take a long time and be complicated. Staff augmentation is simpler. It cuts down on the long hiring process and the need for extra training. You bring in experts only for the time you need them, which cuts down on costs.
- More control over projects: A big benefit of staff augmentation over outsourcing is that you have more control. You get to make the big decisions about the project’s direction, budget, and timeline because you’re adding experts to your team.
- Flexible work: Staff augmentation is flexible. You decide how big your team should be and what kind of work they do, based on what your project needs. This means the project can be done exactly how you want it, in terms of who’s working on it and how long it takes.
Disadvantages of Staff Augmentation
- Downsides: While staff augmentation has its upsides, it’s important to look at its downsides too. Every approach has its challenges.
- More work for managers: Staff augmentation adds people to your team instead of replacing them. This can mean more work for managers because they have to look after more people. This might be hard if your company is already short on staff or leaders.
- Dealing with time zones: Since staff augmentation lets you hire people from all over the world, you might face time zone issues. Working with a team spread across different countries can be tricky because of the time differences.
- Cultural and language barriers: Working with a diverse team also means dealing with different cultures and languages. It’s important to understand and adjust to these differences for good teamwork, but it takes extra effort.
Read more: Why Culture is Important in Outsourcing?
What is IT Outsourcing?
IT outsourcing is when a separate company takes over certain IT jobs for another organization. They handle these jobs to meet the specific needs and agreements of a project.
It might look like staff augmentation, but it’s quite different. In staff augmentation, you add specific people to your team for their skills but still keep control. In IT outsourcing, you get a whole team from another company. This team manages everything about software development from start to finish. The outsourcing company worries about the quality and process of the development.
With IT outsourcing, you get a full team including engineers, UI/UX designers, and quality assurance experts. They work separately from your company, focusing on what the project needs, sticking to deadlines, and improving how things work.
Advantages of IT Outsourcing
- Less work for managers: A big plus of IT outsourcing is that it cuts down on how much managers have to do. The company you hire takes care of managing the project. This lets you focus on the results, not the small details.
- Experts from around the world: Outsourcing lets you work with skilled people from all over, especially from places with a strong tech industry. You get to work with some of the best professionals out there. They bring their skills and knowledge to help make your project a success.
- No need for extra training: Like staff augmentation, outsourcing makes hiring simpler. When you outsource, the company you hire trains the people, not you. This saves you from the long and complicated process of training new staff, making it easier to start and run your project.
Read more: 9 Key Benefits of Outsourcing Software Development
Disadvantages of IT Outsourcing
- Less control: A big issue with outsourcing is that you have less control over the project. The company you hire manages everything, so you don’t oversee it as much. This means you need to talk well with the vendor to make sure they understand what you want from the project. Trusting your vendor is good, but you also need to be clear about deadlines, what you expect, and the details of the project before they start working.
- Higher costs: Outsourcing can cost more than staff augmentation, where you pay based on how long you use the contractors. Outsourcing costs are linked to finishing the project. Sometimes, vendors charge extra to handle the risks of managing the whole project. They might ask for up to 30% more than staff augmentation costs, which are usually hourly or monthly. Outsourcing companies might not want to take on smaller projects because they don’t make as much money.
- Hard to integrate: Integrating outsourced work into your company can be hard. With staff augmentation, you add experts to your team, keeping things smooth. But with outsourcing, a separate team does your project. This can make it tricky to fit their work with what your team does. You have less control over some parts of the project, which can be a problem.
Key Differences Between Staff Augmentation and IT Outsourcing
Let’s compare staff augmentation and IT outsourcing to see how they’re different.
Cost Implications
Both help save money on software development and cut down on hiring and training costs. But, staff augmentation is usually cheaper than IT outsourcing. With staff augmentation, you hire contractors for certain jobs for a short time. They’re not full-time employees, so you don’t have long-term costs like benefits or salaries.
IT outsourcing, though, needs more money at the start. It covers more IT jobs and often has long-term contracts for a whole team doing different things. This team works on everything from the start of a project to the end, including things like managing systems and keeping data safe. This means spending more on resources and tools to get good results. That’s why IT outsourcing can cost more than staff augmentation.
Primary Responsibilities
Both staff augmentation and IT outsourcing help quickly with IT staff needs, but they do different things for clients.
Staff augmentation, this service is about hiring experts for specific jobs in a client’s team. These experts have special skills for parts of a project, like making a product. They work only for the time needed for these jobs.
In contrast, IT outsourcing hires a whole team to manage all parts of software development. This team works on its own, separate from the client’s main business. They take full control of managing the project. IT outsourcing covers many IT areas, from creating apps to managing systems and keeping data safe. It offers a complete solution, more than staff augmentation.
Location of Work
Staff augmentation lets clients pick where their hired developers work. These developers can work with the existing team at the office or work from somewhere else, like a remote team.
On the other hand, IT outsourcing usually involves developers working from different places around the world. These teams might work from far away (offshore), nearby (nearshore), in the same country (onshore), or as freelancers. They work remotely, which can save money and be more convenient than working in an office. This way, outsourcing companies can use talents from all over the world to provide good quality work at lower costs, which is great for businesses needing IT services.
Management of Projects
Staff augmentation, the client’s project leader manages the extra staff. This leader tells the contractors what to do. These contractors work closely with the client’s team and follow the project leader’s instructions, acting like part of the client’s team.
In IT outsourcing, a separate company manages the whole team. This company has a leader who looks after the project. This leader, who usually works at the company’s main office, works with the client’s project leader. The team does the work for the client, but they answer to the leader of the outsourcing company.
Onboarding Process
The way new team members start working is different in staff augmentation and IT outsourcing.
In staff augmentation, it’s quick and easy to bring in new people. You don’t have to go through long hiring steps. Contractors are usually hired for short jobs, so they can start working on the project fast.
But with IT outsourcing, it takes more time to get started. You have to put together a whole team, which means spending more time and effort to choose the right outsourcing company, make deals, and get everyone ready to work. This setup takes longer, but once the outsourcing company is all set, they handle many IT tasks for the client.
Choosing Between Staff Augmentation and IT Outsourcing: What’s Best for Your Project?
When deciding between staff augmentation and IT outsourcing, think about what your project needs. Staff augmentation is good for short projects that need special skills. The client’s team leader manages everything, and the goal is to add experts to make the team better.
If your project might get bigger or need more people than you first thought, IT outsourcing can be a better choice. It works well for longer projects that need a lot of different IT skills.
No matter which one you choose, it’s important to check out the company you might work with. Look at what they’ve done before and what other clients say about them. This helps you understand what they can do and if they’re good at it. EZtek suggests being careful and taking your time to pick the right company for the best outcome.
